I Dream of Beaches

Living in the desert sucks in the summer. As summer quickly approaches and temps are already in the hundreds, I eagerly plan my vacation with the girls. My only requirement is a beach, nice hot weather, and a cute suit. Bon voyage!

Spring, My Dear, Has Apparently Sprung a Leak...

Ahhh the florals, lace, turbans, and...crystals..that appear on the heads of fashionistas everywhere come Spring. From the hippy headband to daring lace cat ears, festive headgear gives the wearer a reason to run down Fremont St. at night singing to the Sound of Music.

Funky Eyewear

Ahhh, an ode to expressing individuality without actually having to commit to a new hairstyle, or heck, even to an entirely wacky outfit. Funky eyewear is the cherry on top of a freakshow frock kinda day :)

This Little Rainbow of Mine

 

This week color inspires me. The image in the center speaking about God might seem out of place, but He is the one that allows me to live in the vibrancy of life's splendor. Afterall- the rainbow was His idea ;)

Week 10 EOC: What Makes a Good Campaign

It endears the brand or group to the public.

There are many women in society who look up to celebrities. It's understandable. They're gorgeous, wealthy, and have all the best clothes and boyfriends. What makes them just like us is the fact that their thousand dollar heels can kill them just as much as our fifty dollar heels can to us. My Dr. Scholls For Her ad puts the celebrity idol on the same playing field as the everyday woman. It creates a commonality that makes the everyday woman think “Hey, they’re not that perfect after all…”. Dr. Scholl’s For Her is the factor that evens the playing field. It gives comfort to those who live glamorous lives and to those who just want to enjoy a night out in their special heels.

 

It will surprise people.

It is expected for celebrities on the red carpet to be at their absolute best. They MUST have the best designer gown, perfect hair, flawless makeup, and the most dazzling 6” heels. Very rarely does a celebrity hit the red carpet and have a complete and utter wardrobe malfunction. Even if they do, it is always unintentional. My ad will throw a curve ball by creating a dialogue that the celebrity intended to cause the commotion of walking barefoot on the red carpet. She would rather have all the bad press than spend one more minute in her terribly painful heels. Magazines will run the pictures of her bruised and blistered feet and it will be so shocking a black bar has to be placed over her feet. The whole notion of publicity is turned upside down. Dr. Scholl’s For Her becomes the only product that can save the day.

 

It strikes a chord in its target audience.

What woman hasn’t bought a pair of heels they absolutely love just to find out it is INCREDIBLY UNCOMFORTABLE? A night of dancing becomes a nightmare to get through. This experience unites women from all backgrounds and social classes. My ad for Dr. Scholl’s For Her will strike a chord in women from LA to NY and start a dialogue.

Week 9 EOC: For Those Who Think Young

   A young audience is an incredibly large demographic brands try to market to. There are increasingly more and more advertisements that feature men and women in their early twenties or even teens for products that are geared toward improving some aspect of their life. This is in essence what the agencies want: to tap into the aspect of their lives that they are not happy with and that can be greatly improved by their products. It is easier to market to a younger audience because there are more insecurities and uncertainties about their lives and appearance. What girl doesn’t pine for a boy that might not notice her, but perhaps, if she wears a certain perfume, he might finally one day take notice of her and they will live happily ever after.  There are insecurities in every age group, but for a younger demographic, it is easier to exploit and use it as a ploy to entice them to make a change by using their brand. Take for example the advertisement for Primus beer. An end of the world scene is being depicted, but a small group of friends are still gathered around a table enjoying each other’s’ company and some beers. This exploits the fear that some young men might not have that group of buddies that they could call on when the world is falling apart. Buying Primus beer will change all that. Suddenly the friends you have will become closer and a tighter relationship with form because of the nightly gatherings at the local bar. Sometimes ads geared toward a younger demographic like to appeal to what their interests are and expound on it. The advertisement for Diesel Jeans is geared for the young men and women out in the world “having fun” with many different partners. The brand already is geared for a younger age group so they try to expand on the fact that men and women should just be out there having fun in their jeans. “Smart has the plans, Stupid has the stories” appeals to many young people who have done not so smart things but have had an interesting story to tell everyone afterwards. Marketing to a younger generation is smart. They have more disposable income and are more involved with different types of media. The ability to influence them is greater and more profitable in the end.

Other Ideas for Promotion

    Advertising the brand is not only relegated to print ads and television spots. Marketing the products is also crucial in making a brand successful. “Very few products, services, or groups are unique; most are parity products, that is, they offer qualities and functions similar or identical to those of their competitors. Branding and advertising differentiates these parity products, services, and groups in a crowded marketplace.”(Landa, R. (2010). Advertising By Design: Generating and Designing Creative Ideas Across Media. Page 33.) I would aim to make Dr. Scholl’s For Her an even stronger brand by staging promotional events in select nightclubs nationally. The events would run concurrently with the unveiling of the billboards also in these markets: Las Vegas, Miami, San Diego, and New York. Marketing in these areas are useful because there are many visitors globally who specifically spend their days and nights constantly on their feet. “Finding a relevant insight into how people think, what they need or desire, and how they act, termed a consumer insight, is paramount for idea generation. That consumer insight should be coupled with an insight into the brand, according to Lisa Fortini-Campbell, advertising expert and professor in the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, Chicago. In her book, Hitting the Sweet Spot: How Consumer Insights Can Inspire Better Marketing and Advertising (2001), Fortini-Campbell argues that by combining consumer and brand insight, one can attain an advertising “sweet spot”—the most effective place to hit the audience with your marketing messages.” (Landa, R. (2010). Advertising By Design: Generating and Designing Creative Ideas Across Media. Page 68.) That insight becomes a power tool for any brand and advertising agency.

     I would start the promotional event by placing brand representatives in the crowds of the hottest nightclubs frequented by fashionable, savvy, attractive locals and tourists. I would have our brand reps wearing high heels, and of course the Dr. Scholl’s For Her shoe inserts, passing out our products to women in the crowd. They would have printed on them a cute slogan on them like, “After the club don’t take off your fabulous heels. CAUSE A SENSATION. NOT A COMMOTION. Dr. Scholl’s For Her.” Most clubs are dark and noisy so not much interaction might be had between the brand reps and the audience; however, when they wake up next morning and realize their feet do not hurt from the night before, they will look in their heels and realize our product saved the day. This tactic could be integral to creating the idea of a “raving fan”. They are people who become loyal to the brand and tell everyone they know about it. They get on the social media sites and blog about it. By creating these events perhaps every 6 months, we could create a direct correlation between Dr. Scholl’s For Her products and dancing on cloud 9 the entire night.